No One Proposes
by unfloopy101
Summary: What would have happened at the end of the 8th season if Joey had never proposed to Rachel. Would the lobsters have a chace to begin their relationship again
1. The Unexplained Ring

Authors Note... Well I attempted to write this story a few moths back, but it didn't work out for many reasons and I have been too busy until now to make it better and put it back on the site. However it is summer now and i am gonna finnally write this story for good!! More Soon... xoxo Allie

No I don't own FRIENDS. Blah Blah Blah!!

**No One Proposes**

"Oh, Hun, can you grab me my other box of tissues? They're right on that chair under Ross' coat." Rachel told Joey with tears of sadness filling her eyes.

She wasn't scared that she would have to raise Emma on her own she was worried that Ross wouldn't want to be connected to their daughter. They weren't a normal family" was all that Rachel could think about. Most families were married or going to get married, or at least dating. They were none of that. That was in their past.

"Sure," Joey responded and reached over to the chair behind him. Joey lifts Ross' coat as a box that looked as though it contained an engagement ring fell to the floor. He grabbed it quickly from the tile floor concerned that Rachel may have seen it but more confused as to why there had even been a ring in Ross' coat pocket.

"Joey?" Rachel asked still waiting for her tissues.

"Oh right," he reminded himself, Joey quickly hid the ring back in Ross' coat and handed Rachel her tissues.

"Thanks Joe." She said and dabbed the last of the tears from her eyes.

"Well I'm gonna go see where everyone else is," Joey said as he got up and left, he needed to talk to Ross, Now!

Rachel felt a chill roll down her spine followed by a shiver of coldness. She looked around the room and realized that she had not brought a coat. She was very sore but she decided it was worth it to get up to get Ross' coat. She was sure he wouldn't mind. Rachel slid it on and lay back down on the bed. She had not slept in so long and had so much on her mind. Rachel got under the covers and rolled to her side. She felt something hard push into her hip. She reached into the pocket of the Jacket and saw the case; she opened it and saw the ring. She gasped, not knowing what to say, was it hers? Why did Ross have a Ring? So she just put it on the night table next to her and drifted off to sleep.

Ross walked up the hallway leading to the room with a bouquet of flowers in his hand and a smile on his face. Slowly he opened the door to Rachel's room and saw her resting. Quietly he placed the flowers on the other side of her bed and noticed that she was wearing his coat. It didn't bother him at all, he thought it was sweet, she was so beautiful, he couldn't wait to talk to her about "them" Phoebe was right he had loved her since 9th grade, maybe this time it would be right. Then Ross remembered the ring that his mom had given him.

"Oh No!" Ross thought, so scared, he remembered he had put it in his left pocket. No, Rachel was lying on her left side she would have felt the box when she turned that way. Ross looked past her and saw the box on her nightstand. He was speechless; he put the flowers in their vase neatly and left the room.


	2. Figuring it out

Figuring it out

When Rachel awoke it was already late, she glanced over at the clock, 6:00pm. She had drifted off for over 3 hours. She picked up her cell phone from the nightstand to call Ross, see what was going on. Then she saw the ring sitting there too. She took off Ross' jacket and got up from the bed, she ached all over. In front of her on the other table was a bouquet of flowers.

"Aw, that's sweet," she thought, "must be from the rest of the gang."

The note attached to the flowers read:

My dear Rach,

You were so great today; Emma looks just like you, beautiful. You're gonna be the best mom in the universe, I'm sure of it. You really deserve every flower in the world but these lilies were the best I could do. I went to go see my parents and get some food. If you want anything just call my cell. When I get back I wanna talk to you.

Love Ya'

Ross

"Oh no!" she thought, "Ross must have seen the ring when he came in to drop the flowers off," she put her hand on her forehead this was almost too much to handle. Even though she knew he had to have seen her with the jacket on she put the ring and jacket back on the chair and took out her cell phone and speed dialed his number 505.

"Hello?" Ross answered; He asked it as a question even though he knew it was Rach.

"Ross, hi it's me, where are you?" she was hungry so she wanted him to get her something.

"Um, I just left my parents house, I'm getting something to eat now, why you want something?"

"Oh, thanks anything small is fine," she wasn't feeling well but she knew she needed to eat.

"Okay, How you feeling, sweetie?" he asked

"Fine, Okay, I'll see you in a bit, Bye." She hung up and sighed. She couldn't tell him about the ring over the phone. What would she say, 'by the way I know you proposing' that's not something you tell someone.

About thirty minutes later Ross walked in Rachel's room.

"Rach?" he asked softly as he walked in just in case she was sleeping

"Hey," she greeted him with a big smile.

"I got you a salad," he told her and handed it to her, now he knew he had to say something about the ring it was sitting right next to her, but words just wouldn't come out so she spoke.

"Ross," she sighed again, "I saw the ring in your jacket, I thought we agreed that just because we had Emma we not getting married?"

"I know my mom gave me that ring to give to you, she thinks we should be married because of you know, everything, but I was never gonna give it to you."

"Oh," Ross could tell Rachel was visibly upset.

He wasn't gonna propose. It's gonna be just like Janice told her, Ross is going to find a new family; she's not going to matter to him anymore.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing, it's just that we're never going to happen," she paused realizing how bad that came out. "I mean your going to get married again---"

"And then I'll get divorced again," Ross added. "I would never leave you and Emma for as long as I live."

"Really?" she asked.

"Really." Ross promised.

He wanted to tell her that he was 'in that place' but he couldn't. If it didn't work out Emma would suffer; even if it was all he wanted since he was 15.

I'm happy, right? She thought, "This is what we've agreed on all along." A silent tear ran down her face.

"Did you put you slippers on the wrong feet again?" Ross asked. He didn't know if he was meaning to be funny or helpful but it felt right to say it.

She looked up at him again; they shared one of their 'moments'.

He knew how she felt, they felt the same way. There was no way for him to describe the feeling. He silently again sat down on the edge of the bed. Ross lifted her face and kissed her lips softly. That was really what he wanted no matter how complicated their relationship was no matter what anyone said this felt so RIGHT.

She needed him, this felt so PERFECT to her, no matter what, she had him forever.


	3. A New Hope

A/N: Okay, I know it's been forever since I wrote anything in this story. But I've come back to hopefully finish it. So most likely you wont remember what happened in the first few chapters so I'd suggest you go back and read them. Also. When I first began writing this I was very into R&R being "together forever" happily ever after kinda thing. But truly I can't say that will happen with this story. But I also can't say it wont. I really have no idea where I'm going with this. So, I hope you like this chapter and keep reading it. Leave some reviews, constructive criticism is welcomed. – Allie

Rachel was just getting home from the hospital when she got to her and Ross' apartment Phoebe and Chandler and Monica were already there.

"Hey you guys, what's up with the gorilla?" Rachel asked; the stuffed animal was probably bigger than her. All Monica did was point to Chandler. Rachel nodded along thinking, "Who else would buy that."

"Monica, Phoebe's can I talk to you for a minute?" Rachel knew she needed to tell them what had happed at the hospital; she never kept anything from her best friends. Neither of them moved, "in privacy." Rachel completed.

"Right," they both said and followed Rachel into the kitchen.

"Okay, I know that you both are going to say this is so stupid but, It's just that lately I feel that maybe Ross and I could really work out, Ya' know"

"Rachel are we really gonna go through all this again," Monica said, "You guys just need to talk to each other and sort this all out. It's been five years! Do you even know if he feels the same way?"

Phoebe interrupted next. "He does," Phoebe was really excited, "I talk to him right after Emma was born, he's defiantly 'in that place' he said so himself!"

"Still though Rach, this would be a huge deal Hun, has he said it to you exactly to your face, shown you he wants you back?"

"We haven't really said that we want to get back together but right before Emma we kissed-"

"What, Rachel, Ross never told me you kissed he just said he was gonna talk to you about you guys again." Phoebe tried to piece everything together.

"And then when he came back to the hospital yesterday after going to your parents house I was really emotional and worried that he wouldn't be their for Emma and me he was really sweet," Rachel thought if she really wanted to continue what she was saying, of course she did, "we ended up kissing again." She was really worried how her friends would react.

"Rach, Ross obviously has feelings for you, and have a huge history together."

"Yeah, stop talking to us and go talk to Ross NOW!" Phoebe added.

"But what if—"

"Go!" Mon and Phoebe both shouted, not mad just anxious.

Rachel stepped out of the Kitchen and leaned her head against the wall, she took a deep breath, and this could really be the right time for Ross and her.

No longer was she frightened of her future with out Ross, this time she WOULD make it work.

Ross was sitting in Central Perk on the ancient orange couch reading his new paper on sentiment flow rate, but he couldn't stop thinking about her. The only women he had truly loved (and didn't turn out to be a lesbian). Even as he was reading his mind was picturing both of them on a Saturday morning sitting in bed when their kids came running in and leap up onto the bed, they all read the paper together, maybe fight over the science section. Long ago the woman in his picture was Rachel, but for a long time it wasn't, she didn't have a face. Now it was Rachel again and that told Ross something. Ross was smiling to himself picturing it over and over again then Joey came in.

"Oh my god Ross, I need to talk to you!" Joey ran over to Ross and sat down. "I've been looking all over for you for days, where have you been? So did she say yes and what made you do it?"

"What Joe?"

"Y'know did Rachel say yes?"

"Did she say yes to what Joey?"

Ross obviously wasn't getting it so Joey explained, "When I went into your room after Rachel had the baby you had an engagement ring in your coat pocket."

"Joey, god I've had to tell so many people this, I wasn't gonna propose, it's a long story."

"Oh," Joey responded sadly

"What?"

"It's just that you and Rachel are so perfect together, and I really thought you were onto something with the engagement ring, that you guys were finally giving it another change but you can continue with your 'we were on a break' attitude but I gotta tell you Ross it's been five years and it' time to move on from that-"

Ross interrupted Joey, "I've moved on from that Joe,"

"Really, you?"

"Yeah, and I think she has too, like yesterday she got very upset that I would leave her and Emma and we ended up kissing, It was amazing."

"They why aren't you talking to her about this instead of me," Joey paused, "wait this isn't about my feelings for her Ross, because if that's it you have nothing to worry about, their gone."

"It's not that it's just that even if we were in the same place we'd screw it up and put Emma in the middle of that."

"Ross are you really gonna use an excuse like that again, I'm gonna convince you somehow."

"Your right," Ross paused, "I'm going."

"Yeah, you are!" Joey said and jumped up and gave his friend a hug.

When Ross got outside the coffee house he leaned against the brick wall outside. He smiled, there was so much for him to look forward to and he knew his picture could finally be complete, it had to be.


End file.
